Alumni Spotlight | From the Big Four to Amazon: How Lehigh Unlocks Endless Possibilities for a Business-to-Tech Career

"Banks and the 'Big Four' accounting firms across the East Coast absolutely love recruiting Lehigh students. Especially in this region, Lehigh carries an exceptionally prestigious reputation."

The Lehigh alumni network is one of our greatest strengths and institutional advantages. Today, we are proud to present our Chinese Alumni Spotlight Series, featuring exclusive interviews with outstanding Chinese graduates. Through these authentic stories, our alumni share their experiences studying in the U.S. and navigating the American job market, providing invaluable insights for prospective students.

In our inaugural feature, we catch up with Jie (Jie) Huang, a Class of 2011 alumna who currently serves as a Senior Technical Program Manager at Amazon in the United States. This interview was conducted and compiled by two current Lehigh student ambassadors—Winnie Wu (Senior, Business Information Systems) and Clarie Cai (Graduate Student, Business Analytics)—who hope Jie’s academic and professional journey will inspire those looking to pivot into data-related fields.

Key Takeaways from Jie's Journey:

• 01. Connecting with Lehigh: Moving from the Big Four to Amazon

• 02. The "Business-to-Tech" Pivot: Breaking Through Career Boundaries

• 03. Strategic Career Planning: Navigating the Job Market with Efficiency

• 04. Lehigh University: A Choice with Zero Regrets

01. Connecting with Lehigh: Moving from the Big Four to Amazon

"I earned my master's degree from Lehigh in Analytical Finance (now formally renamed Financial Engineering), a highly interdisciplinary program jointly offered by the College of Business and the College of Engineering.

When researching graduate schools, I was meticulous. Having earned my undergraduate degree in Economics and Finance from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, I wanted a master's program that would expand my future career options beyond traditional finance roles. Considering the academic rigor, cost-effectiveness, and geographic benefits, Lehigh's program was the perfect choice.

Lehigh exceeded my expectations. I took foundational courses like Financial Mathematics and Programming alongside peers majoring in mathematics and computer science. The professors didn't just teach finance theory; they demonstrated exactly how to apply coding, algorithmic models, and engineering methodologies to real-world business cases.

Whether your background is in STEM or business, this program is an exceptional launchpad. It allows tech-minded students to gain financial acumen, and business students to build quantitative skills—opening doors to high-paying, high-demand careers like data analytics in finance, quantitative trading, and risk management.

After graduating in 2011, I started as a data analyst at a specialized data consulting firm, serving major commercial banks and telecommunications companies. Later, leveraging a referral from a Lehigh alumnus, I transitioned into the Advisory practice at EY (Ernst & Young), one of the Big Four accounting firms, where I utilized statistical modeling to solve complex client issues. Recently, I took the next step in my career by joining Amazon as a Senior Technical Program Manager."

02. The "Business-to-Tech" Pivot: Breaking Through Career Boundaries

With the boom of big data and tech infrastructure, an increasing number of business and humanities students want to acquire STEM skills during graduate school to expand their marketability.

"Pivoting into tech from a pure business background certainly comes with structural challenges," Jie notes. "While it broadens your career horizon, the most critical step is defining your ultimate goal and aligning your choice with your personal strengths."

Demystifying Data Science vs. Business Analytics

To help students navigate these paths, Jie breaks down the distinctions between the two most popular data-driven disciplines:

• Data Science (DS): This field focuses heavily on data collection, pipeline cleaning, and predictive modeling. It demands rigorous programming and engineering capabilities. Data Scientists primary utilize Python, R, and specialized big data frameworks (such as SQL and Hadoop).

• Business Intelligence / Business Analytics (BA): Whether utilizing models built by data scientists or working with aggregated data structures, BA professionals focus on identifying business trends, evaluating key metrics, and designing interactive dashboards (via tools like Tableau) to help stakeholders monitor business goals. This path aligns closely with roles such as Product Analytics.

Jie's Advice: "A Business-to-Tech transition requires dedication. Before making the leap, I highly recommend self-studying foundational coding and advanced mathematics online to gauge whether this technical pivot truly aligns with your interests."

Transitioning from Big Four Consulting to Big Tech

Jie also addressed a common crossroad faced by seasoned consultants: why leave the Big Four for a tech giant?

"Management consulting is phenomenal for recent graduates. It exposes you to diverse industries, workflows, and executive leadership within a very short timeframe, giving you a broad canvas to map out your long-term goals.

However, a natural shift occurs as you climb the ranks. In consulting, as you advance from an entry-level Analyst or Associate to a Senior Manager, your core focus shifts from hands-on project delivery to client acquisition and business development. The pressure to sell projects increases exponentially.

At this juncture, many professionals reassess their career alignment. Those who prefer being technically hands-on often find that staying in consulting limits their trajectory if they don't want to focus on sales. That is when transitioning to an in-house role at a major tech firm becomes the logical next step—allowing you to align your daily work with your core analytical strengths."

03. Strategic Career Planning: Navigating the Job Market with Efficiency

Does planning early truly save you from taking unnecessary detours? "Absolutely," Jie emphasizes. "The key is understanding what your target industry demands, and then deliberately stacking your resume with the exact skills and experiences that recruiters look for."

Accumulating Targeted Industry Experience

"If you know where you want to go, start hunting for relevant internships and practicing interviews at least a year before graduating from your undergraduate program. Securing a summer internship at a major tech or financial firm before your final year is the gold standard, as a significant portion of these companies hire full-time employees directly through high return-offer rates.

For master's students, given the accelerated timeline, fitting in a traditional internship can be difficult. Focus instead on robust, hands-on project work with your professors. If your goal is a non-technical corporate role, channel your energy into proactive networking. If breaking into a tech giant feels daunting right after graduation, remember that working at a boutique firm or a startup within your niche is an excellent stepping stone. I carved my own path by moving from a smaller consulting firm, to the Big Four, and finally to Amazon. The crucial factor is that your early work matches your long-term direction."

The Art of Interview Preparation

"Recruiting frameworks at tech giants are highly structured. Before applying, dissect the Job Description to see the exact types of engineering or business problems the team solves. Then, seek out or design parallel projects in school so you can walk into the interview ready to map your experience directly to their business needs.

For those targeting technical roles, leveraging resources like tech forums to study recent interview transcripts ('Mianjing') is invaluable. Reach out to friends or alumni already inside these companies to understand their team dynamics. If your target role requires coding evaluations, consistent preparation on platforms like LeetCode is mandatory. Landing a technical role requires deliberate practice, so maximize your time on campus to master these hard skills."

04. Lehigh University: My "Choice with Zero Regrets"

"When studying abroad, the academic environment and campus culture are paramount to me. Nestled on the slopes of South Mountain, Lehigh’s campus is stunningly beautiful, serene, and perfectly conducive to learning.

Our location offers a major strategic advantage: we are just a 1 to 2-hour bus ride away from global hubs like New York City and Philadelphia. This proximity made job hunting and executive networking incredibly seamless, while allowing me to enjoy a much lower cost of living compared to metropolitan areas.

Furthermore, Lehigh’s alumni network is remarkably close-knit and powerful. The university hosts prominent career fairs on campus, and alumni are incredibly generous with internal referrals—in fact, my transition into EY was made possible through a direct referral from a Lehigh classmate. In the Northeast corridor, the Lehigh brand carries immense prestige among major financial institutions and the Big Four.

Beyond our world-class engineering and business reputation, Lehigh is deeply steeped in architectural beauty and artistic tradition. Walking along the campus paths, especially near the iconic Linderman Library and the academic quadrangles, feels like stepping straight into a historic, collegiate fairy tale.

In this inspiring environment, I made lifelong friends from all corners of the globe. A university is more than just an institution that dispenses degrees; it is a transformative platform that shapes your worldview, character, and future. The mentors, peers, and friends I met at Lehigh fundamentally guided my growth. Looking back, choosing Lehigh remains a choice with zero regrets."